The Hunger Games follows the main protagonist Katniss Everdeen. Katniss is a sixteen-year old girl, living in District 12 in Panem. Each year, a girl and boy are taken from each district to fight in the Hunger Games. However, one day Katniss’s sister is chosen and without much thought Katniss volunteers herself instead. The Hunger Games to Katniss is a death sentence because she must kill the rest of the competitors to be the ultimate winner and that seems unlikely.
Taking place in the future, we follow American Singer, a sixteen-year old girl, who is given the ultimate chance of a lifetime. The kingdom has offered thirty-five girls a spot to potentially marry Prince Maxon. American Singer is one of the thirty-five that is chosen, but unlike her peers who would kill for this part, she is unhappy. She cannot bear to think of leaving her lover, Ashton, for some man she doesn’t know at all. However, things start to change when she meets Prince Maxon in real life.
The Giver is set in a dystopian society where no one knows the history of the society except for a select few that are assigned to be the receiver of memories. Young Jonas is selected to be the receiver for his generation. He trains with the current receiver, where he uncovers the secrets of his society and the world.
The story of the men of the Alpha Company during the Vietnam War. During this story, we learn the stories of these men, and their lives before, during, and after the war. It is not told through one specific person, but instead takes turns in telling the stories of each member through their perspectives, or their fellow soldiers’.
The story of love, heartbreak, betrayal, and reunion between the two main characters, Connell and Marianne. Told over the course of a few years, readers follow their journey through high school and college as they navigate their ever-changing relationship. I really wanted to like this book. After everything I had heard about Sally Rooney, I had high expectations for this book, and unfortunately, I feel like it didn’t quite live up to the hype. Normally I am a big fan of romance, but this one just didn’t cut it for me.
The House on Mango Street is the coming of age story of a young Latina girl named Esperanza as she grows up with her family in a predominantly white Chicago. We get to see her struggles with friends, family, school, money, racism, and much more. What I love about this story is that it is told in vignettes. Each vignette is a unique portion of Esperanza’s childhood, each with its own lesson and message that can be applied to the lives of the reader.
A story that takes place in New York City in the 1920’s of the narrator, Nick Carraway, as he befriends the wealthy and mysterious Jay Gatsby and helps him try and reunite with his former girlfriend. Surprisingly, I really enjoyed this book. On the surface level, it is a very simple and straightforward read. Only 9 chapters, easy to follow, not a very complicated vocabulary. But what I enjoyed about this story was how there were so many aspects with hidden, deeper meanings. This is what really made the story worth reading for me.
The Prestige tells the story of two rivaling magicians, Angier and Borden, both trying to outsmart and outwit the other one, and ultimately attain more fame than the other. Although I really enjoyed the concept of the story, I didn’t care too much for how the author went about telling the story. There were multiple timeline jumps, and most of the story was told through the perspective of the magicians’ ancestors.
After moving to London, Dorian Gray befriends an artist named Basil Hallward who paints him a portrait. After living with the painting, Dorian soon agonizes over the fact that he will be aging while the painting of himself will stay youthful forever. Dorian will go to great lengths to prevent himself from becoming a different man than the one in the painting.
When Alina Starkov is sought to have a special power, she is sent to a school for the magic to learn and train with the best of the best. During the process she encounters new acquaintances, romance, and plenty of secrets. This book was amazing! Bardugo does a fantastic job of world building; from the moment the book starts, you immediately feel like you are in the Grishaverse with Alina. The imagery the novel provided was spectacular, and I was hooked off the bat. The concept was very unique, and it made me that much more engaged.
